Credit card validation for an interactive wireless network

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for validating a credit card over a wireless network. The apparatus includes a gateway for sending a credit card validation reply message to a wireless device in response to receiving a credit card validation request message from the wireless device, the request message including credit card information for identifying a credit card to be validated. The method includes sending a first credit card validation request message to a gateway from a wireless device, the first request message including credit card information for identifying a credit card to be validated; sending a second credit card validation request message and the credit card information from the gateway over an external network in communication with the gateway to a credit card validation service provider for processing the credit card information; receiving by the gateway a first credit card validation reply message from the credit card validation service provider over the external network; and sending a second credit card validation reply message from the gateway to the wireless device.

BACKGROUND

Notice: More than one reissue application has been filed for the reissueof U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,342. The reissue application numbers are thepresent application, 11/424,176 and 13/424,889, which is a continuationreissue application from 11/424,176, both of which are reissues of U.S.Pat. No. 6,755,342.

This invention relates to an interactive wireless network and, inparticular, to credit card validation over an interactive network.

Credit card validation requires a predetermined arrangement with variouscredit card validation agencies. For example, Internet online vendorsand consumers use credit card validation services such as PAYPAL toenable users (e.g., vendors or consumers) with an e-mail address to sendand receive credit card payments online. The PAYPAL validation serviceuses existing infrastructures of bank accounts and credit cards tocreate a global real-time payment for its users. There are, however, nocredit card validation services that provide a communication link overan interactive wireless network for subscribers to the network. Forexample, there are no credit card validation services that allow a userto obtain credit card validation using a wireless device over aninteractive wireless network without requiring specialized applicationsand integration. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide awireless credit card validation service that operates over aninteractive wireless network that allows a wireless user to obtaincredit card verification via an interactive message without requiringspecialized application development.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect the invention provides an apparatus forvalidating a credit card over a wireless network. The apparatus includesa gateway for sending a credit card validation reply message to awireless device in response to receiving a credit card validationrequest message from the wireless device, the request message includingcredit card information for identifying a credit card to be validated.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of validating a creditcard over a wireless network. The method includes sending a first creditcard validation request message to a gateway from a wireless device, thefirst request message including credit card information for identifyinga credit card to be validated; sending a second credit card validationrequest message from the gateway over an external network incommunication with the gateway to a credit card validation serviceprovider for processing the credit card information; receiving by thegateway a first credit card validation reply message from the creditcard validation service provider over the external network; and thegateway, sending a second credit card validation reply message to thewireless device.

A further aspect of the invention provides a method for validating acredit card over a wireless network. The method includes processingcredit card information associated with a credit card to be validated ata gateway, the gateway sending a credit card validation reply message toa wireless device in response to receiving a credit card validationrequest message from the wireless device, the request message includingthe credit card information for identifying the credit card to bevalidated; wherein, the credit card information is processed at thegateway by a software application developed independently of externalcredit card validation processes provided remotely from the gateway.

These and various other aspects of the invention are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof.For a better understanding of the invention, however, reference shouldbe made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to theaccompanying descriptive matter, in which there are illustrated anddescribed specific examples of an apparatus, system and method inaccordance with the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of one embodiment of an interactivewireless system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of an interactive wirelesscredit card validation system according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing one embodiment of an implementation ofan interactive wireless credit card validation feature of the invention.

DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a credit cardvalidation system and method for providing credit card validationservices over an interactive wireless network. The credit cardvalidation system interfaces with a two-way wireless device. Thewireless device communicates with an interactive wireless communicationssystem. The wireless device receives credit card information such ascredit card number and expiration date from a user and transmits acredit card validation request message over a wireless network to agateway. In one embodiment the credit card information is transmittedfrom the gateway to a credit card validation service provider forprocessing the credit card information. The validation service providersends a validation reply message to the gateway indicating whether thecredit card has been approved. The gateway receives the validation replymessage from the credit card validation service provider and transmits avalidation reply message to the wireless device. In one embodiment, thecredit card validation system includes a wireless device interfaced witha keypad or a credit card swipe reader.

In one embodiment, information from the wireless device is communicatedto a wireless network and to one or more gateways and to an externalnetwork such as the Internet. The gateways allow different systems,i.e., the Internet or other wide area network and the wireless networkto communicate with each other. In one embodiment, the gateway functionsas an interface between a wireless device such as an interactive pagerand the Internet.

In one embodiment, the interactive wireless device is an interactivepager and accepts credit card information from an integral keyboard. Inone embodiment, the wireless device accepts credit card information fromvarious external devices such as an external keypad, a credit card swipereader, a contact smart card, a contactless smart card, infrared, radiofrequency (RF), magnetic induction, and the like.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the components of an interactivewireless system 10 according to the present invention. A wireless device12 such as a pager communicates with a wireless communication network18. An example of the wireless communications network 18 uses theMOBITEX® technology of the Cingular Interactive Intelligent WirelessNetwork service provided by Cingular Wireless. The features of thepresent invention may be implemented, e.g., by Cingular Wireless's IM+Interactive Messaging Service.

The MOBITEX® network is a two-way wireless data service that can beconnected with other complementary networks. A wireless data servicesuch as the MOBITEX® network includes a hierarchy of communicationssystems that can provide nationwide wireless service through a networkof base stations and local switches under the control of higher orderregional switches or exchanges. The wireless device 12 may operate witha wireless communications system using an over-the-air protocol such asHP98 or the Blackberry protocol developed by RIM (Research in Motion).

In one embodiment, the wireless device 12 is a wireless interactivepager capable of interactive messaging between the pager and thewireless communication network 18. In other embodiments, the wirelessdevice 12 can include, for example, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA),a wireless telephone, a wireless personal computer, a wireless modem orany wireless device that is adapted to communicate with the wirelessnetwork 18. Interactive messaging provides, for example, a way ofcommunicating with the ability of sending and receiving text messages.In one embodiment, the interactive pager displays the user's messages toand from other interactive messaging users on a screen. The interactivepages can send and receive Internet e-mail, send messages to a faxmachine and send text-to-voice messages to a telephone. Additionalfeatures of the interactive messaging allows a user to retrieve andmanage all messages, along with content from the Internet, includinge-mail.

Gateway 20 processes data received, e.g., from the Internet 60 for usein wireless communication network 18. The components of gateway 20 maybe connected over an internal network 22, 24, 26, which may be a localarea network (LAN). One or more wireless network exchanges such asMOBITEX® regional switches 28, 30, 32, which may be at separatelocations, communicate with gateway 20 through Nrouters 34, 36, 38. Thecommunication between regional switches 28, 30, 32 and Nrouters 34, 36,38 may use an X.25 protocol. Up to two dual-ported connectivity cards,e.g., those manufactured by Eicon Networks, can be placed in eachNrouter, permitting a total of four Fast-Sequenced Transport (FST)connections per Nrouter. Gateway 20 can handle, for example, up to 255Nrouters.

The communications received by Nrouters 34, 36, 38 are processed by aseries of protocol handlers 40, 42, 44, 46. The protocol handlers 40,42, 44, 46 communicate with the Nrouters 34, 36, 38 using X-sockets overinternal network 22. Such sockets are, for example, point-to-point,two-way software communications interfaces that direct the protocolhandlers to access the internal network by creating a communicationsend-point or socket and returning a file descriptor with which to accessthat socket. The underlying protocol for packaging and decoding textmessages sent by wireless devices and received by the gateway is SimpleMail Transport Protocol (SMTP).

An unlimited number of protocol handlers may be employed. Each protocolhandler may include up to five protocol processes, which may be anycombination of HP98, HP99 or HPID-4 processes. Each protocol processormay back up the other protocol processors automatically. The protocolshandled by protocol handlers 40, 42, 44, 46 may specify that messagestorage and internal email access may be handled by the UNIX standardNetwork File System (NFS) distributed file system from SUNSOFT, whichallows data to be shared across the network regardless of the protocol.Each protocol handler maintains a database cache, i.e., a small, fastmemory holding recently accessed data, to speed up internal networkcommunications and to limit database access requests over the LAN.

Protocol handlers 40, 42, 44, 46 process information contained in userdatabase machines, e.g., user database 48, user database backup 50,message store 52 and message store backup 54. The protocol machinescommunicate with the database machines using X-sockets over internalnetwork 24. The database machines contain an interface to contentaddressable memory (CAM) (not shown) for updating information, e.g.,user account information and status. Multiple backup machines may beused in gateway 20, each being synched automatically by socketscommunications.

The user databases of the gateway 20 may be configured with a directorystructure. Every user account stored in the user database has a uniqueidentifier such as a MOBITEX® Access Number.

The results of protocols processed by protocol handlers 40, 42, 44, 46using data from the user database machines are communicated externallyto gateway 20 via network 26. An Internet mail router 56 and Internetmail router backup 58 connected to the internal network handle inboundand outbound communications traffic with an external network such as theInternet 60, as well as X-sockets traffic. If necessary, a separateX-sockets machine and backup machine (not shown) can be added. Thetransport protocol for communications over the Internet may be, e.g.,TCP/IP or TELNET for remote login.

The internal network is also connected to wireless network subsystems 62that communicate through wireless network 18. Examples of wirelessnetwork subsystems are an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system whichprocesses remote entries by a user from a touch tone telephone to querya database and obtain computerized voice responses, and a wirelesspaging system using an advanced XTAP protocol.

The wireless communication gateway may be configured from a standardSanta Cruz Operation (SCO) UNIX system, with the web access programbeing Windows NT by Microsoft. The system may use both TCP/IP and UDPfor communications, and hypertext markup language (HTML) may be used tosupport Internet web browsers, including those provided by Netscape andMicrosoft. The computer language used by the gateway components may bein the C programming language, java or HTML. The message deliveryfeatures of the present invention may be implemented in the Cprogramming language.

The gateway as configured in such a wireless communications systemincludes a mailbox for the user of the wireless interactive device,e.g., in message store 52. For example, when a sender sends a textmessage over the Internet to a user of a wireless device, the gateway 20stores the message in the user's mailbox and handles the communicationsand transmissions protocols to deliver the message over the wirelessnetwork. The message can include credit card information and credit cardvalidation requests and replies. Based on information about the user inthe user database, the gateway 20 determines the user's wireless devicetype, and the gateway 20 is programmed to handle a variety of protocolsfor different wireless devices. The gateway 20 can access profileinformation, such as user preferences, for the user stored in the userdatabase. The gateway 20 also uses information in the user database toensure that the user is a valid subscriber to the wireless service andto maintain billing information based on usage. The gateway 20 performsthe important function of managing the amount of data flow in theinternal network and the volume of communications traffic over thewireless network, which has a limited bandwidth and which handleslimited size data packets.

In operation, the gateway 20 provides credit card validation services toa subscriber to the gateway 20 by way of a standard wireless mailpackage, for example. The subscriber (e.g., user) to the gateway 20 canuse wireless devices 12 such as pagers to transmit credit cardvalidation request messages to the gateway 20 and receive credit cardvalidation reply messages from the gateway 20 without developing theirown credit card validation interfaces. The message includes the creditcard information such as the card number and the expiration date of thecredit card to be validated. In one embodiment, the credit cardinformation is specified in the subject of an e-mail message. Thevalidation reply message is then returned to the subscriber's wirelessdevice 12 in the form of an e-mail message, for example. The user,therefore, need only subscribe to the gateway 20 and need not subscribeto a separate credit card validation service such as PAYPAL, for example

The credit card validation function can be implemented at the gateway 20using a custom software application or via standard Internet e-mail tosend a message to a predefined validation address associated with thegateway 20. The software application developers do not need to have anyspecific knowledge of the actual validation process that is providedthrough the gateway 20. The software application developers can thusconcentrate their efforts in developing applications for processing thecredit card validation messages between the wireless device 12 and thecredit card validation service provider without the burden or overheadof knowing the specific credit validation process used by an externalprovider. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the credit card validationfunction for processing credit card validation request messages at thegateway 20 can be implemented by software application developersindependently of the external credit card validation process. Therefore,the software applications for processing the credit card information foridentifying a credit card to be validated can operate independently ofthe credit card service provider validation process.

In one embodiment, the gateway 20 functions as a reseller of credit cardvalidation services and works in conjunction with a third party creditcard validation service. Because the credit card validation service isprovided to the gateway subscribers, there will be much less credit cardvalidation traffic on the gateway 20 and thus the user can access creditcard validation information at a much improved processing rate.

Turning now to FIG. 2, where one embodiment of a credit card validationsystem 70 is illustrated. A user provides credit card information 72 tobe validated to the wireless device 12. The wireless device 12 sends acredit card validation request message 74 including the creditinformation (e.g., credit card number and the expiration date) to thegateway 20. The gateway 20 transmits a credit card validation requestmessage 75 and the credit card information to a third party credit cardvalidation service provider 76 for processing the credit cardinformation. Once the credit card information is processed the thirdparty credit card validation service provider 76 returns a validationreply message 79 indicating whether or not to authorize the credit card.Accordingly, the gateway 20 provides a validation reply message 78 tothe wireless device 12.

In one embodiment, the wireless device 12 is an interactive pager andthe credit information can be entered via the interactive pager keyboard73. In one embodiment, the wireless device can be interfaced to variousexternal devices such as an external keypad 14, a card swipe reader 16,a contact smart card 90, a contactless smart card 92, infrared 94, radiofrequency (RF) 96, magnetic induction 98, and the like. The wirelessdevice 12 accepts the credit card information from the externalinterfaces 14, 16, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98 and transmits the credit cardinformation and a validation request to the wireless communicationnetwork 18 and onto the gateway 20 for validation.

Turning now to FIG. 3, where one embodiment of a flow diagram 80 showinghow the credit card validation may be implemented. At block 82, usingthe wireless device 12 the user 72 sends a credit card validationrequest message including credit card information to the gateway 20. Thegateway 20 recognizes the user 72 and receives the validation requestmessage and credit card information 74. At block 84, the gateway 20transmits a validation request message including the credit cardinformation 74 to a third party credit card validation service 76provider. At block 86, the third party credit card validation serviceprovider 76 validates the credit card information 74 and returns avalidation reply to the gateway 20. At block 88, the gateway sends thevalidation reply 78 to the user via the wireless device 12. Accordingly,the user 72 can validate the credit card information 74 through thegateway 20 without subscribing to the third party validation service 76.In one embodiment, the gateway 20 provider purchases the credit cardvalidation services from the third party validation service provider 76and resells the validation service to the user 72.

In use, for example, a vendor can take a customer's credit cardinformation and provide the information to the wireless device 12. Thevendor provides the credit card information to the wireless devicethrough the various interfaces. The wireless device 12 transmits thecredit card information and a validation request message to the wirelesscommunication network 18 and onto the gateway 20. The credit cardinformation is then validated and the gateway 20 sends a responsecontaining the validation reply as a text message back to the display ofthe wireless device 12. The validation reply also can be displayed onthe keypad 14, the credit card swipe reader 16 and any of the otherexternal interfaces if they are equipped with a display or validationindicator.

In one embodiment, for example, a wireless user can obtain credit cardvalidation information via an interactive message with no applicationdevelopment. The wireless user can utilize the wireless device 12 tosend an interactive message to the wireless network 18 as follows:

To: creditvalidation

Subject: <creditcard number> <expirationdate> <amount>

Where:

<creditcard number> is the number to be validated;

<expiration date> is the expiration date of the card; and

<amount> is an optional field and is the amount to check if valid

For example:

To: creditvalidation

Subject: 3838939391233434 01/02 50.00

The wireless network provides the following response to the wirelessuser, for example:

Card: 3838939391233434 Expiration Date: 01/02

Is Valid for $50.00

Accordingly, the wireless user can validate credit cards wirelesslyremote from their normal place of business, for example. The wirelessuser can later clear the credit card via the conventional creditfacility located back at the wireless user's normal place of business.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, itshould be apparent, however, that various modifications, alterations andadaptations to those embodiments may occur to persons skilled in the artwith the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the presentinvention. It is therefore intended to cover all such modifications,alterations and adaptions without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

1. An apparatus for validating a credit card over a wireless datanetwork, the apparatus comprising: a wireless communication gateway incommunication configured to communicate with a wireless data network,the gateway configured for processing to process credit card validationdata to be received from an external network and for sending configuredto send a credit card validation reply message to a wireless device incommunication with the wireless data network in response to receiving acredit card validation request message from the wireless device, therequest message including credit card information for identifying toidentify a credit card to be validated; wherein the gateway comprises adatabase for storing the credit card validation reply message; andwherein the database has a directory structure for associating thewireless device with the credit card validation reply message.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the gateway transmits is configured totransmit the credit card validation request message over the externalnetwork to a credit card validation service provider for processing toprocess the credit card information.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2,wherein the external network is the Internet.
 4. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the credit card validation request message is a text message.5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the credit card validation requestmessage is to be sent via e-mail to a predetermined validation e-mailaddress.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the credit cardinformation is to be provided in a subject portion of the e-mailmessage.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the credit cardinformation includes a credit card number of the credit card to bevalidated.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the credit cardinformation includes a credit card expiration date of the credit card tobe validated.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the credit cardinformation includes an identifier associated with the credit card to bevalidated.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the credit cardvalidation reply message is a text message.
 11. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the credit card validation reply message is to be sent viae-mail to the wireless device.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thewireless device is a pager.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thewireless device is configured to be interfaced to a keypad.
 14. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless device in is configured to beinterfaced to a credit card swipe reader.
 15. A method of validating acredit card over a wireless data network, the method comprising: sendinga first credit card validation request message to a wirelesscommunication gateway in communication with a wireless data network froma wireless device in communication with the wireless data network, thegateway configured for processing credit card validation data receivedfrom an external network, the first request message including creditcard information for identifying a credit card to be validated; sendinga second credit card validation request message and the credit cardinformation from the gateway over the external network in communicationwith the gateway to a credit card information validation serviceprovider for processing the credit card information; receiving by thegateway a first credit card validation reply message from the creditcard validation service provider over the external network; sending asecond credit card validation reply message from the gateway to thewireless device; storing the first credit card validation reply messagein a database associated with the gateway; and associating a secondwireless device with the first credit card validation reply message in adirectory structure of the database.
 16. The method of claim 15, furthercomprising storing the second credit card validation reply message in adatabase associated with the gateway.
 17. The method of claim 16,further comprising associating a second wireless device with the secondcredit card validation reply message in a directory structure of thedatabase.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein sending the second requestmessage from the gateway over an external network in communication withthe gateway for processing the credit card information further comprisestransmitting the second request message to the Internet.
 19. The methodof claim 15, wherein sending a first credit card validation requestmessage further comprises sending a text message.
 20. The method ofclaim 15, wherein sending a second credit card validation requestmessage further comprises sending the credit card information via e-mailto a predetermined validation e-mail address.
 21. The method of claim20, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sendingthe credit card validation information in a subject portion of thee-mail message.
 22. The method of claim 15, wherein sending credit cardinformation further comprises sending a credit card number of the creditcard to be valid validated.
 23. The method of claim 15, wherein sendingcredit card information further comprises sending a credit cardexpiration date of the credit card to be validated.
 24. The method ofclaim 15, wherein sending credit card information further comprisessending an identifier associated with the credit card to be validated.25. The method of claim 15, wherein sending a first credit cardvalidation reply message further comprises sending a text message. 26.The method of claim 15, wherein sending a second credit card validationreply message further comprises sending an e-mail message to thewireless device.
 27. The method of claim 15, wherein sending a firstcredit card validation request message from a wireless device furthercomprises sending the first credit card validation request message froma pager.
 28. The method of claim 15, wherein sending a second creditcard validation reply message to a wireless device further comprisessending the second credit card validation reply message to a pager. 29.The method of claim 15, wherein sending a first credit card validationrequest message further comprises sending a first credit card validationmessage that is independent of a credit card service provider validationprocess.
 30. The method of claim 29, wherein software applications forprocessing credit card information for identifying a credit card to bevalidated operate independently of the credit card service providervalidation process.
 31. A method for validating a credit card over awireless data network, the method comprising: processing credit cardinformation associated with a credit card to be validated at a wirelesscommunication gateway to be in communication with a wireless datanetwork, the gateway configured for processing to process credit cardvalidation data to be received from an external network, the gatewaysending to send a credit card validation reply message to a wirelessdevice in communication with the wireless network in response toreceiving a credit card validation request message from the wirelessdevice, the request message including the credit card information foridentifying the credit card to be validated; wherein, the credit cardinformation is to be processed at the gateway by a software applicationdeveloped independently of external credit card validation processes tobe provided remotely from the gateway; and storing the credit cardvalidation reply message in a database associated with the gateway;wherein storing further comprises storing the credit card validationreply message in a database that includes a directory structure forassociating the wireless device with the credit card validation replymessage.
 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising transmitting thecredit card validation request message from the gateway over theexternal network to the credit card validation service provider forprocessing to process the credit card information.
 33. The method ofclaim 32, wherein transmitting the credit card validation requestmessage further comprises transmitting over the Internet.
 34. The methodof claim 31, wherein processing the credit card validation requestmessage further comprises processing a text message.
 35. The method ofclaim 31, further comprising sending the credit card validation requestmessage via e-mail to a predetermined validation e-mail address.
 36. Themethod of claim 35, further comprising providing the credit cardinformation in a subject portion of the e-mail message.
 37. The methodof claim 31, further comprising providing a credit card number of thecredit card to be validated in the credit card information.
 38. Themethod of claim 31, further comprising providing a credit cardexpiration date of the credit card to be validated in the credit cardinformation.
 39. The method of claim 31, further comprising providing anidentifier associated with the credit card to be validated in the creditcard information.
 40. The method of claim 31, wherein processing thecredit card validation reply message further comprises processing a textmessage.
 41. The method of claim 31, further comprising sending thecredit card validation reply message via e-mail to the wireless device.42. The method of claim 31, further comprising receiving the credit cardinformation by the gateway from a pager.
 43. A method of validating acredit card over a wireless data network, the method comprising: sendinga first credit card validation request message to a wirelesscommunication gateway in communication with a wireless data network froma wireless device in communication with the wireless data network, thegateway configured for processing credit card validation data receivedfrom an external network, the first request message including creditcard information for identifying a credit card to be validated; sendinga second credit card validation request message and the credit cardinformation from the gateway over the external network in communicationwith the gateway to a credit card information validation serviceprovider for processing the credit card information; receiving by thegateway a first credit card validation reply message from the creditcard validation service provider over the external network; sending asecond credit card validation reply message from the gateway to thewireless device; and storing the second credit card validation replymessage in a database associated with the gateway, wherein the secondcredit card validation reply message is associated in the database witha second wireless device.
 44. The method of claim 43, further comprisingassociating a wherein the second wireless device is associated with thesecond credit card validation reply message in a directory structure ofthe database.
 45. A method of validating a credit card over a wirelessdate network, the method comprising: receiving, at a gateway, a firstcredit card validation request message from a wireless device via awireless date network, the gateway to process credit card validationdata received from an external network, the first request messageincluding credit card information to identify a credit card to bevalidated; sending a second credit card validation request message andthe credit card information from the gateway over the external networkto a credit card information validation service provider to process thecredit card information; receiving by the gateway a first credit cardvalidation reply message from the credit card validation serviceprovider over the external network; sending a second credit cardvalidation reply message from the gateway to the wireless device;storing the first credit card validation reply message in a databaseassociated with the gateway; and associating a second wireless devicewith the first credit card validation reply message in a directorystructure of the database.
 46. The method of claim 45, furthercomprising storing the second credit card validation reply message in adatabase associated with the gateway.
 47. The method of claim 46,further comprising associating a second wireless device with the secondcredit card validation reply message in a directory structure of thedatabase.
 48. The method of claim 45, wherein sending the second requestmessage from the gateway over an external network in communication withthe gateway to process the credit card information further comprisestransmitting the second request message to the Internet.
 49. The methodof claim 45, wherein sending a first credit card validation requestmessage further comprises sending a text message.
 50. The method ofclaim 45, wherein sending a second credit card validation requestmessage further comprises sending the credit card information via e-mailto a predetermined validation e-mail address.
 51. The method of claim50, wherein sending credit card information further comprises sendingthe credit card validation information in a subject portion of thee-mail message.
 52. The method of claim 45, wherein sending credit cardinformation further comprises sending a credit card number of the creditcard to be validated.
 53. The method of claim 45, wherein sending creditcard information further comprises sending a credit card expiration dateof the credit card to be validated.
 54. The method of claim 45, whereinsending credit card information further comprises sending an identifierassociated with the credit card to be validated.
 55. The method of claim45, wherein sending a first credit card validation reply message furthercomprises sending a text message.
 56. The method of claim 45, whereinsending a second credit card validation reply message further comprisessending an e-mail message to the wireless device.
 57. The method ofclaim 45, wherein said first credit card validation request message isindependent of a credit card service provider validation process. 58.The method of claim 57, wherein software applications for processingcredit card information to identify a credit card to be validated are tooperate independently of the credit card service provider validationprocess.
 59. A method of validating a credit card over a wireless datanetwork, the method comprising: receiving, by a gateway, a first creditcard validation request message from a wireless device via a wirelessdata network, the gateway configured to process credit card validationdata received from an external network, the first request messageincluding credit card information to identify a credit card to bevalidated; sending a second credit card validation request message andthe credit card information from the gateway over the external networkin communication with the gateway to a credit card informationvalidation service provider to process the credit card information;receiving by the gateway a first credit card validation reply messagefrom the credit card validation service provider over the externalnetwork; sending a second credit card validation reply message from thegateway to the wireless device; and storing the second credit cardvalidation reply message in a database associated with the gateway,wherein the second credit card validation reply message is associated inthe database with a second wireless device.
 60. The method of claim 59,wherein the second wireless device is associated with the second creditcard validation reply message in a directory structure of the database.61. A computer-readable storage medium containing software code that, ifexecuted by a processor, causes the processor to perform operationscomprising: receiving a first credit card validation request messagefrom a wireless device via a wireless data network, the first requestmessage including credit card information to identify a credit card tobe validate; sending a second credit card validation request message andthe credit card information over an external network to a credit cardinformation validation service provider to process the credit cardinformation; receiving a first credit card validation reply message fromthe credit card validation service provider over the external network;sending a second credit card validation reply message to the wirelessdevice; storing the first credit card validation reply message in adatabase; and associating a second wireless device with the first creditcard validation reply message in a directory structure of the database.62. The medium of claim 61, further comprising software code such thatthe operations further comprise: storing the second credit cardvalidation reply message in a database.
 63. The medium of claim 62,further comprising software code such that the operations furthercomprise: associating a second wireless device with the second creditcard validation reply message in a directory structure of the database.64. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending the second request messageover an external network further comprises transmitting the secondrequest message to the Internet.
 65. The medium of claim 61, whereinsending a first credit card validation request message further comprisessending a text message.
 66. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending asecond credit card validation request message further comprises sendingthe credit card information via e-mail to a predetermining validatione-mail address.
 67. The medium of claim 66, wherein sending credit cardinformation further comprises sending the credit card validationinformation in a subject portion of the e-mail message.
 68. The mediumof claim 61, wherein sending credit card information further comprisessending a credit card number of the credit card to be validated.
 69. Themedium of claim 61, wherein sending credit card information furthercomprises sending a credit card expiration date of the credit card to bevalidated.
 70. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending credit cardinformation further comprises sending an identifier associated with thecredit card to be validated.
 71. The medium of claim 61, wherein sendinga first credit card validation reply message further comprises sending atext message.
 72. The medium of claim 61, wherein sending a secondcredit card validation reply message further comprises sending an e-mailmessage to the wireless device.
 73. The medium of claim 61, wherein saidfirst credit card validation request message is independent of a creditcard service provider validation process.
 74. The medium of claim 73,wherein software applications for processing credit card information toidentify a credit card to be validated are to operate independently ofthe credit card service provider validation process.
 75. Acomputer-readable storage medium containing software code that, ifexecuted by a processor, causes the processor to perform operationscomprising: receiving a first credit card validation request messagefrom a wireless device via a wireless data network, the first requestmessage including credit card information to identify a credit card tobe validated; sending a second credit card validation request messageand the credit card information over an external network to a creditcard information validation service provider to process the credit cardinformation; receiving a first credit card validation reply message fromthe credit card validation service provider over the external network;sending a second credit card validation reply message to the wirelessdevice; and storing the second credit card validation reply message in adatabase, wherein the second credit card validation reply message isassociated in the database with a second wireless device.
 76. The mediumof claim 75, wherein the second wireless device is associated with thesecond credit card validation reply message in a directory structure ofthe database.
 77. A method of reselling credit card validation services,the method comprising: arranging to purchase credit card validationservices from a validation service provider; receiving, from a wirelessdevice of a subscriber, a first credit card validation request messagevia a wireless data network, the first request message including creditcard information to identify a credit card to be validated; sending asecond credit card validation request message and the credit cardinformation over an external network to said validation service providerto process the credit card information; receiving a first credit cardvalidation reply message from said validation service provider over theexternal network; sending a second credit card validation reply messageto the wireless device; storing the first credit card validation replymessage in a database; and associating a second wireless device with thefirst credit card validation reply message in a directory structure ofthe database.